1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, generally, to tools and methods for constructing a graded surface. More particularly, the invention relates to tools and methods for preparing a well-graded fill material surface around a drain prior to the laying of tile in the construction of a sloped floor, for example the floor of a shower enclosure.
Proper construction of a floor surface upon which incident water is to be collected in a drain location is a common challenge in building construction. Such a floor surface should be smoothly graded across its extent with sufficient and consistent inclination to provide water collection at the intended location, such as a drain, while unwanted pooling of water in other areas should be prevented. Further, for the comfort and safety of a person standing on the floor surface, unduly sharp or non-uniform inclinations are to be avoided. Current typical construction involves ad-hoc solutions and arrangements by a skilled craftsperson and consistent results are therefore unlikely or expensive.
2. Background Art
Pre-formed shower floor units have long been available for simple placement in a shower enclosure. These can be pre-fabricated and installed within an enclosure of specific dimensions and therefore suffer the disadvantage that they are not adaptable at the time of installation. The shower enclosure must match the available pre-formed unit or, alternatively, the shower enclosure can be measured and a custom fit unit can be fabricated to order, requiring a substantial delay in the construction project.
Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,088,984 and 6,155,015 disclose a system of rail members arranged radially about a drain for use in forming a shower floor. The rail members provide top edges to which the top surface a fill material can be brought flush to establish a graded surface. The inventions of these patents suffer the disadvantage that each rail member must be cut to a tailored length spanning the distance between a flange centered around the drain and the wall of a shower enclosure thereby consuming time and requiring an on-hand supply of specialized rail-member material. Further, the disclosed rail members effectively divide the floor area into several graded sections such that a resulting uniformly graded surface about the drain does not appear to be possible.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for producing a well-graded sub-tile fill material in the construction of a shower or drain area. A preferable apparatus and method for such should provide easily reproducible results and provide for the construction of a floor that adjoins enclosing walls at a consistent height.